Small herb, with several to many wiry stems arising from a woody stock; stems and branches stiff, erect, or ascending, uniformly grey-pubescent, 4-12-(15) cm. tall. Lvs opp., floral alt., close-set, us. overlapping, on slender petioles up to 2 mm. long. Lamina narrow-oblong, often apiculate, (3)-5-8-(10) × 1-3 mm., coriac., glab. except near base; coarsely toothed. Fls ± 3-5 mm. diam.; calyx pubescent, ± 5 mm. long; lobes ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate; petals pink to white, up to 10 mm. long, often shorter. Capsules 10-15-(20) mm. long, curved, suddenly narrowed to apex and base; hoary pubescent, becoming glab., sts glabrate even when immature. Peduncles obsolete or very short. Seeds minutely papillose.

Plants depressed, stems spreading, all parts densely pubescent and rather more fleshy.

2n = 36

Low, tufted herb 4-12 cm tall, well-branched from the base and sometimes also above. Stems grey-green or reddish, ± densely covered with short erect or appressed eglandular hairs. Lamina of lf narrowly elliptic, 4-9 × 1-3 mm. Floral tube 0.5-1 mm deep, ± densely strigillose outside. Petals white or rose-purple, becoming flushed rose after pollination, 2.8-9 × 1.1-5.1 mm. Capsules ± densely covered with erect or appressed eglandular hairs, 1-1.9 cm long, prominently beaked, subsessile.